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When vegetation sampling takes place, each reclaimed community will be sampled <br /> separately. The dryland pasture area will comprise a single unit, as will the sagebrush <br /> reclaimed area. The sagebrush extended reference area will also be a single sample <br /> unit. Within each sample unit, sample placement will be either on a simple random or a <br /> proportional allocation design. A minimum of 10 samples will be collected in each <br /> reference area while at least 15 samples will be taken in the reclaimed areas. Samples <br /> will be collected in each sample unit until sample adequacy is reached. Sample <br /> locations will be drawn randomly from a gridded map of the areas to be sampled and <br /> then located in the field through the use of a compass and pacing or GPS unit. <br /> The Applicant's water source failed in recent years so the following following irrigated <br /> hayland discussion is no longer applicable to the permit. Please see the following <br /> pages for dryland pasture success standards and reclamation success and sampling <br /> methods. <br /> Irrigated Hayland - Reclamation Success: (not applicable to permit) <br /> Because of it's postmining land use, the Irrigated Hayland disturbed area <br /> (approximately 14.8 acres) only has to exceed 90% of a production standard to <br /> demonstrate revegetation success (Rule 4.15.9). The Irrigated Hayland areas were <br /> never numerically described in the original permit application and never received any <br /> success standards for a final bond release demonstration. As part of technical revision <br /> 15, Mr. Dennis Davidson of the Natural Resources Conservation Service was contacted <br /> because of his experience with the local soils and ecology in order to determine an <br /> acceptable technical standard. His letter, dated January 9, 1988, is enclosed in Exhibit <br /> 4.4-3 and serves as the basis for the standard of 3000 lbs/acre. <br /> Irrigated Havland - Sampling Methods: (not applicable to permit) <br /> Rule 4.15.9 allows that only production will be evaluated for cropland for determinations <br /> of vegetative success. Therefore, for the irrigated hayland reclaimed area, total <br /> herbaceous production will be evaluated. Production plots will be randomly placed in <br /> the reclaimed area and clipped. Due to the herbaceous nature of the crop, production <br /> plots will be 1/4 meter2 in size (1/2 meter * 1/2 meter). All current annual herbaceous <br /> production within the volumetric vertical projection of each quadrat will be clipped, <br /> separated according to life form, and bagged. The three life forms will include perennial <br /> species, annual species, and noxious weeds. All production samples will be oven-dried <br /> at 110 degrees Fahrenheit to a constant weight. For bond release, enough samples will <br /> be collected to achieve sample adequacy. Sample adequacy calculations will be based <br /> on total herbaceous production. The success comparison will be based on total <br /> herbaceous, non-noxious, perennial production. <br /> TR-21 4-63 05/18 <br />